


Unvoiced Burden

by No_luck_fangirl



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Bad Parenting, Child Neglect, Danny Fenton Needs Help, Danny Whump, Dysfunctional Family, Family Issues, Gen, Sad with a Happy Ending, protective Jazz, selective mutism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26681809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_luck_fangirl/pseuds/No_luck_fangirl
Summary: “They did it again, didn’t they?” Jazz asked with a frown. Danny avoided her eyes and folded his arms close to his chest, trying not to look as wasted as he felt.Jazz sighed and spoke softly, “This can’t keep going, Danny. You know that.” She stepped forward and cupped Danny’s face with both her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze.Danny’s lip trembled and, soon, he couldn’t hold it anymore.-Danny's diagnosed with selective mutism, and the Fentons finally sit down to talk about it.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 180





	Unvoiced Burden

**Author's Note:**

> So, I had to do a narrative for school about being brave and facing and overcoming challenges. And I didn't think twice to write something from one of my many fandoms. As you can tell, I chose Danny Phantom. But as it is a school thing then I don't mention Amity Park or anything ghost related. And Jack is more of an adult. I don't think it affects the story that much, it just doesn't have as many references as I would've liked. 
> 
> But anyway, hope you like it! And please leave a comment if you did! :)

“ _ It’s like he’s not even  _ **_trying_ ** .” 

Danny guessed he wasn’t supposed to hear his mother say those words after he stood up from the dinner table and made his way towards the secure atmosphere of his room. That being said, it wasn’t as if they hadn’t been very obvious about their thoughts regarding the recent events. 

Being diagnosed with selective mutism wasn’t a surprise for Danny, seeing that he’d already (practically) diagnosed himself before his parents even began to be suspicious of his behaviour. Ironic, considering this has been going on for  _ months _ now. His sister is another story, though. Jazz is, after all, studying Psychology in university and is especially immersed in child psychology. (He  _ knows _ it’s because of him, even if she keeps stubbornly denying it).

Ah.  _ Speak of the devil… _

“They did it again, didn’t they?” Jazz asked with a frown. Danny avoided her eyes and folded his arms close to his chest, trying not to look as wasted as he felt. 

Jazz sighed and spoke softly, “This can’t keep going, Danny. You know that.” She stepped forward and cupped Danny’s face with both her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. 

Danny’s lip trembled and, soon, he couldn’t hold it anymore. Jazz embraced him while he sobbed and wept and let the tears run freely, all the while he could hear their parents stop talking and instead take tentative steps in their direction. He heard the sharp intake of air his mom took just before getting to the aisle, and he could feel his dad’s growing panic when he took in the scene in front of him. 

“ _ Oh God… _ ” Danny’s mom breathed shakily, covering her mouth with both her hands and then taking a step forward, not looking anywhere but at him. “I’m-  _ Danny _ , are you-? What’s  _ wrong _ I-”

“‘ _ Wrong _ ’?” Jazz huffed in disdain. “Oh,  _ nothing’s _ wrong, mom. At least not with  _ him _ .  _ You _ , on the other hand...”

Danny whimpered and, just like that, all the attention was back on him. 

“Maddie,” Danny’s dad, Jack, said, trying and failing to keep his tone even, “I think it’s time to have a talk.” Both adults exchanged a look and Jack gestured towards the living room. The rest sat on the couches. 

Silence followed, only broken by the stifled sobs of the black haired teenager.

Finally, Jazz caved in. Still holding her brother tightly by her side, she breathed heavily. Her eyes filled with determination as she met her parents’ haunted gaze. “Do you know why he doesn’t talk around you?” She asked, but they gave her no answer. 

“You don’t really understand what he is going through, do you?” Once again, silence met Jazz’s question, and she couldn’t help but let out a pained, soft chuckle at her parents’ obliviousness. 

From Maddie’s side, she certainly was not eager to know the answers to her daughter’s questions. However, Danny hadn’t been acting like himself for so long that she was set on knowing what exactly was going on with her son. This was the first time in a while that he displayed any kind of strong,  _ true  _ emotion, and it disheartened her that it was sadness he showed. 

“Jazz,” Maddie started, “I need to know, I- I need to unders _ tand _ .” She choked on her words, finding that saying it outloud was more difficult than she anticipated. She took in Danny’s miserable appearance, and felt her heart squeeze with dread. When did her son become a stranger to her? 

“That is  _ it _ , mom,” Jazz said with a shaky voice. “You and dad have listened to what his sickness entails but haven’t thought about why Danny was diagnosed that way in the first place or what you could  _ do _ , what you could  _ change _ to help him. He doesn’t talk to anyone but me or Sam and Tucker because he doesn’t feel comfortable enough anywhere but. And you know what that means, don’t you?”

Downcast, Jack nodded. “...Danny doesn’t,  _ can’t _ feel secure with us.  _ And it’s our fault _ .” 

Jazz didn’t deny it, and Maddie broke down in tears. 

By now, though, Danny had calmed down. He had to wipe a stray tear every now and then, but his sobs had subsided to small sniffles and he could assess the situation with a clearer mind. He untangled himself from her sister’s arms and stayed seated, melting into the pillow for comfort. His lips were pressed in a firm line and his eyes were fixed on his naked feet. 

The rain slightly drowned Danny’s mom sobs, drops of cold water tapping on the windows and creating a beautiful symphony for Danny to admire. His shoulders sagged and his breathing evened out, but his heart kept beating in rapid fire and his head pounded with strain. 

Thinking back, Danny missed those times when nothing seemed to be wrong. When his parents didn’t see him as a frail doll. When Jazz buried herself in books and took no mind of his weirdness. When he went out with his friends without anxiety getting the better of him… 

Everything went down since the day of Danny’s diagnosis. (Although, if he was being honest, it went down way before that). He couldn't make sense of the strange, nagging feeling he got whenever he attempted to say something. Anything. It was as if an invisible plug obstructed air from leaving his body, all the while his nerves spiked to a seriously dangerous degree.

Danny didn’t want to continue like this. So he tried. He  _ tried _ . But as soon as he opened his mouth, his throat clogged up and no sound dared to escape. It frustrated him to no end, but he knew he couldn’t force himself to get better just like that. 

Thus, Danny reached for his phone. Sweaty hands gripped the device and his shaking fingers struggled to do as he wanted. It took some effort, but some time later Jazz founded herself smiling softly at what Danny had written. She cleared her throat, gaining their parents’ attention.

“Danny wants to tell you something, and it seems I’ve been chosen as the mediator,” Jazz joked, though mindful of her brother’s distress. 

Danny avoided his parents’ hopeful looks and nodded at Jazz. She started to read, and not so long thereafter the whole family was a crying mess. 

...what followed was rough, but very much needed. That talk was both draining and fulfilling; it opened doors that were previously closed and fixed bonds that had been broken. 

Danny’s wounds, previously hidden under silent covers, were now seen by those he loved, healing and turning into invisible scars that faded little by little, day by day.

Happiness was no longer unfathomable. And Danny felt as if he was finally free. 


End file.
